Navin Engineer
Navinchandra Jamnadas Engineer (born May 1951) is a British billionaire, the owner of Chemidex, a pharmaceutical company that he founded in 1981.
Navin Engineer | |
---|---|
Born | Navinchandra Jamnadas Engineer May 1951 |
Nationality | British |
Known for | Founder and owner, Chemidex |
Net worth | GBP £1.1 billion (April 2015)[1] |
Spouse(s) | Varsha Engineer |
Children | 2 |
Early life
Navinchandra Jamnadas Engineer was born in May 1951.[2] His father worked for the Kenyan civil service.[3] In 1963, he was sent from Kenya to London to live with his aunt, and later studied at the London School of Pharmacy.[1]
Career
Engineer's first job on graduation was a pharmacist for the Boots the Chemist chain, which he found "a little bit like the civil service"; one day he was shocked by a visiting area manager asking for a cup of tea when he was busy dispensing prescriptions, and resigned the same day.[4]
Chemidex was founded by Engineer and his wife in 1981, and is based in Egham, Surrey.[5]
In 1981, Chemidex opened its first pharmacy in Chertsey, Surrey. In 1999, he had 14 pharmacies which he sold to the German company Celesio for a reported £12 million.[4][6] Chemidex then became a pharmaceutical company, and it acquired its first brand in 2000.[7]
According to The Sunday Times, the business is valued at £1 billion and Engineer at £1.1 billion.[1]
Engineer also set up the company Essential Generics, a drug manufacturer based in Egham, Surrey.[8] He resigned as a director of the company in 2013.[9]
Personal life
He is married to Varsha Engineer.[1] They have two children,[6] and both studied medicine.[4]
References
- "Sunday Times Rich List". The Sunday Times (page 33). 26 April 2015.
- "Chemidex Generics Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- "Navin Engineer, London, United Kingdom | Kenyan Jewels". Alusainc.wordpress.com. 2 February 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- "Pharma families". Management Today. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- "Chemidex Pharma Limited: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Businessweek.com. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- "Asian Power Couples Hot 100 - Surnames from D - FAsian Power Couples". Asianpowercouples.com. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- "Chemidex Pharma - licensing and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals". Chemidex.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- Reporter, Billy Kenber, Investigations. "Drug firm exploits loophole to raise price from £3 to £87". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- "Varsha Navinchandra ENGINEER - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2020.